Reviews, musings and all things book related.

Bibliophile

Putting together these blog posts takes time; more time then you would think. I am a busy homeschooling, hard-working momma with kids in a lot of activities. Time has a way of passing by quickly when you’re in the trenches of motherhood.

When I started this blog, I thought I would be able to create a whole community of readers that use my reviews as a source for new books to add to their bookshelves.
Then, I realized that blogs are somewhat a thing of the past. Not many people read blogs regularly anymore and they may soon become as relevant as MySpace.

As I worked on growing my blog, I started an Instagram account and I discovered there is a ginormous, amazing, fantabulous community of bibliophiles there. I have had a lot more interaction and built many new relationships in the Bookstagram community. Despite it’s member size, it is as tight-knit a community as you can get on social media.

With all that, I am going to be moving my book reviews to Instagram. They will still have the same characteristics and I will still be giving a quality review of each book. However, it is easier and quicker to write up a review and post it on Instagram then it is to go through the blog writing process and getting a post ready to go. I will still have the reviews post to Facebook as well so you can find them either way.

I will give it a trial time to see how it goes, but I have high hopes that my reviews will do well there. When I post, I always use hashtags for the book, the author and the publisher so it will be searchable on Instagram. Or, you can just be sure to go on over and follow me on Instagram. 🙂 If you want to use Facebook to follow my reviews, you will need to mark my page so that it shows up in your newsfeed first so you don’t miss any of my posts.

Links to find me and my book reviews.
I hope to see y’all over there! 🙂

I had seen many people on Instagram saying they were reading this and that it was fabulous, so I was intrigued and willing to give it a read.

“In her mesmerizing adult debut set on the shores of the Great Lakes, critically acclaimed children’s author Jean E. Pendziwol delivers an affecting story of family, identity, and art involving a decades-old mystery.”

So lovely was the loneliness
Of a wild lake, with black rock bound,
And the tall pines that towered around

The Lake
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

I really enjoyed this book. It was not exciting and adventurous, but it had a wonderful story line that evolved and intertwined with all of the well developed characters. The story was set in a part of the world that I have never been to and it was nice getting to experience it through the author’s words and the characters’ stories. Jean Pendziwol did a wonderful job with the descriptions of the setting that you could picture it clearly and feel like you were right there with Elizabeth.

I loved how the book explores the ideas of knowing your past, where you come from and learning how that can shape who you become. There are also some undertones of the argument nature versus nurture. I think the author does a fantastic job of getting you to think about which one is the underlying reason of who you turn out to be.

The novel is full of family secrets and choices that change the course of things, lost loves, bullying, acceptance, unconditional love despite your circumstances and the journey of a young girl desperate to find her roots and a sense of belonging.

As I said above, the book is not chalk full of adventure, but it contains its own kind of mystery that keeps you intrigued all the way up until the end of the story. It was a great read that was not too in depth or made me think too much but had just enough to keep me hooked. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, “lighter” book to read.

*Note* There is a little bit of adult language in the book. However, I think it lends to some authenticity of the character and the story.

I knew of this classic piece of work, but I have never read it myself. One of the exciting things about being a bibliophile and a mother is that I get to read and share these classics with my own children. This particular one I shared with my youngest son.

Originally written in 1945, this books holds exemplary, poetic language strung together to create a whimsical, light-hearted tale about a mouse born to a human family.

My sport-loving, never-sits-still 8 year old was intrigued and enthralled with this book. He thought it was hilarious that a mouse had human parents an a human brother. He loved the mishaps and adventures that Stuart experienced throughout the story. He was just a little bit disappointed at the ending and felt like the story was not complete; there were unanswered questions in his mind. This is often the mark of a wonderful work of art because it leaves it in the hands of the reader to interpret; but he is a little young for that concept.

He was excited to learn that there was a movie based upon the book so of course we watched it. There were a couple of pieces from the book that were left out of the movie that he commented on. Welcome to the world of books made into movies, son. 🙂

I think that Stuart Little is an incredible piece of classic literature that all children should either read or have read to them. It is a story that has persevered through time that generations have enjoyed and should be exposed to in the future.

Rooms was the pick for my monthly book club. I will give my own review and then after my book club meets, I will expand on the discussion and others’ thoughts on this novel.

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It took a little while for me to be able to get into this one as it delves into the supernatural world in a way that has never been explored. As I continued to read through it, I began to realize how much meaning and depth was buried within its pages.

James Rubart does a fantastic job of creating a tangible, understandable way into how God and the Holy Spirit work within our hearts and lives. As we follow Micah through his journey to a closer relationship with God, it helps you to think about your own relationship with Him and to evaluate what you can do differently.

I have always thought of a life as a believer is similar to a choose your own adventure book. God has all of these different plans laid out for you, different paths but each is still His will for your life. God gives us as humans free will; He wants us to have the the ability to make our own choices because He did not intend for us to be mindless robots. He wants us to chooseHim, not just be a blind follower.
Because of that free will and the freedom to make our own decisions, I think (just my own opinion here) that God has various paths laid out for us based upon which decisions and life path that we make. Just like the choose your own adventure books we read as children.

Rooms, Micah’s story, follows along with my theory, which you will see as you read through the book.

“Walk with God. Listen to the Holy Spirit. You know His voice. You’ll come to know it better as you practice listening. And listen to your heart. It knows the truth, for as you know, that is where the temple is and where the King dwells.”

Sometimes, when you have had your own dry season, it is refreshing to read about someone else’s journey and watch their path to God unfold. It changes your perspective in the desert when you watch another human just beginning their walk with God or finding their way back to Him. I loved reading Micah’s story and seeing how God worked in his life and his heart. It reminded me that the most important thing is my relationship with Him; not all of the other clutter that sometimes can get in the way.

Freedom, Micah, the Lord is always about freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. If what you do brings freedom and life, it is most likely Christianity. If it doesn’t, it is possibly religion, and there is already too much of that in the world.

Do not get stuck in the clutter and the “religion” but make sure you are finding your relationship and your freedom with the Lord.

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This next section was added after my book club met and includes some thoughts and opinions of others on the book and how the discussion may have changed my perspective of the book.

I think that this is one of the few books we have read in our 10 months of book club that everyone liked and had good things to say.
We all agreed that Rooms has a tremendous amount of depth and a lot to offer. Rubart was able to give us a concrete example of how we all wrestle with our subconscious and Satan and how we can rely on the Bible and our tribe to find and remind us where the truth really lies. Eventually, we all need to face our past and the people who have hurt us, so we can find healing and move forward with freedom in Christ.

The following is from the Author’s Note:

I long to step into the freedom that Micah discovers, to live more completely in the divine design and destiny God has created for me, to be victorious over the voices that hold me back from living the full life God intended me to live.
I loved writing Rooms because it’s my story. It’s your story. It’s the story of anyone who wants to step into greater freedom, step into the glory of how God uniquely mad him or her, step into the destiny planned for them from before time began.
He is the Great Healer of wounds. He is the Great Restorer of freedom.

Everyone needs to read this book. I highly recommend it.

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In fact, because I think everyone should read it, I am going to give away my copy to one of my lucky readers.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! WINNER CHOSEN!

Today marks the 200th Anniversary of the death of Jane Austen. Jane Austen is viewed in the literary world as a classical author worthy of enormous praise.
I once tried reading a Jane Austen book when I was a young teenager; Sense and Sensibility. I am not sure if it just was not her best work, if it is just not my genre of literature or if I was just too young to be able to enjoy the true beauty of the novel.

So help me out. Should I try reading it again? Should I try a different Jane Austen book? What is your favorite Jane Austen book that you have read?
I want to love her books, but I am afraid to try them again.

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My book reviews seem to go in groupings since I tend to read more than one book at a time. I hope that you understand where there is often some period of time between reviews on my blog. I seem to finish the multiple books all around the same time.

This next week, I should soon have 2-3 reviews ready to go. I have finished reading the monthly book club book, but I like to post the review after we meet and have discussion. I have one more book that I have about 1/4 of the book left to read and 2 books that I have just started.

Who else tends to read 2-3 or even 4 books all at the same time?

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One of the books I am just starting is of course More Than Just Making It: Hope for the Heart of the Financially Frustrated, by Erin Odom. It is available for pre-order right now! Plus, Erin just release a FREE, 5-day E-Course called Eating Well on a Budget. I have signed up for the course myself because I am always saying that it is SO hard to eat good healthy foods while staying on a budget. You can sign up for the course HERE on the book launch sales page; scroll all the way to the bottom and you will find it.

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I’m so excited that I have been selected to be a part of Brooke McGlothlin’s Gospel-Centered Mom book tour!

Stay tuned for more info on the book and the upcoming blog book tour!

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I am excited as my “hobby” continues to grow. I took a leap of faith and stepped into this with the hope that I could combine my long-time hobbies of reading and writing into something larger. I appreciate and treasure each of you because you are here with me at the beginning of this journey; who knows where it will go from here.
I want to share my love for books with the entire world and you can help me do that by sharing my blog, my Facebook page, and my Instagram account with your friends and family.

How many of you women have fond memories as a tween girl, giggling with your friends at the latest slumber party, holding a dog-eared copy of the much loved Judy Blume novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
I know that I do. A novel, treasured and coveted, that taught many life lessons within its pages.

Thank goodness for us, she now writes adult novels as well.

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A historical fiction novel, In the Unlikely Event visits the unusual and chaotic events of 3 separate plane crashes occurring in the town of Elizabeth, New Jersey in the 1950’s.

Judy Blume is able to lend some authentication within the pages of this novel because she happened to be a teenager living in Elizabeth when the events took place. The characters and their stories in the book are fiction, however Judy was able to lend authenticity to the emotions and repercussions of the accidents because she was there during that time.

I cannot even begin to imagine the fear that would run through a small town after not 1 or 2, but THREE airplane crashes; especially since aircraft was still a fairly new phenomenon.

Children had nightmares, families moved, women and men vowed to never fly on an airplane again and lives were changed forever after they witnessed the crashes along with the aftermath.

As we follow Miri, her family and friends through the impact these crashes had on their lives, we learn about first love, old love, anger, growing up, unexplained tragedy, mental illness, family and how secrets can affect not only your own life but those around you. We learn what it is like being a single mother, being an only child without a father, what it is like to be wealthy and what it is like to barely be able to pay the bills.
We learn that life does not always turn out how we imagine it or how we would like it to.

In true Judy Blume fashion, there is some adult content in the book; not a lot but enough that you need to be aware that it is in there.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read. I enjoy learning about historical events but still being able to lose myself in the fiction story of a novel. Judy Blume did a good job penning a work of fiction that you can get invested in all while intertwining the historical events during the early 1950’s. The book is not a work of amazing literature, but it would make a wonderful summer beach read.

“No,” Rusty said. “Enough is enough. She’s too young to understand. None of us can make sense of it–how can you expect a young girl to?”
“Not by sweeping it under the rug and pretending it didn’t happen,” Henry said.

I have been selected to be on the launch team for the new book, More Than Just Making It by Erin Odom at The Humbled Homemaker!!!!!
I recently received my pre-launch book and I cannot wait to begin reading it. I will be posting quotes and tidbits on both my Instagram and Facebook pages; you can find my account info here. I am really excited to have my first “big break” as a book reviewer/book blogger.

I just planned 3 new books to start with each of my kids. I love reading aloud to them. I love the time I get to bond with them over books and I get to revisit some of my own childhood favorites. Sometimes, I get to read some amazing children’s books that I never had the chance to read as a child.

My 8 year old son and I will be reading Stuart Little. This is one that I have not read, although I know of the story. I hope that we will enjoy reading it together.

I will be reading The Secret Garden with my 11 year old daughter. I read this as a young girl and loved getting lost in the beautiful story. I hope she will love it as much as I did.

My 13 year old son and I began reading through the Harry Potter series when he was 9. I have read every single word aloud to him from the first 6 books and we have watched all 6 movies together. Because of various life situations we have not been able to read the 7th book yet,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . Part of it might be that I am holding back about ending this time of ours together. We have bonded over this series and found a mutual love for Harry and his magical world. But alas, it is time to bring this chapter to a close.

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I would love to hear what some of your recent favorite books are or what Must-Read books are on your list. I am always looking for new books to try and ways to get out of some of the ruts I get in.

I am working on a review for a book I recently finished. I have almost completed my book club book for the month. I have a book that I am reading for fun. I have a book that I have been very slowly working through for personal Christian Development.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by all of the books that I not only want to read, but the ones I think I should read. Anyone else have this small panic attack occasionally?
Then I read a article on Book Riot titled You will NEVER Read All The Books – And That’s a Good Thing; and then I felt a wee bit better. I won’t ever read all the books and it is okay. If I do not read every single “classic” literature book that was ever written, it will not be the end of the world. Books are meant for enjoyment and knowledge; if it is not something I enjoy reading, I will not gain knowledge from it.
So, it is okay that I only read the books that I want to read and that I have the time to read.

What books are you currently reading? What is currently on your stack of books?

Alice has just been moving along through life; 3 children, impending divorce, fitness aficionado, and trying to make her mark on the world. Busy, busy, busy. Then one day while at the gym, she falls and hits her head which results in the loss of her memories from the last 10 years of her life.

Can you imagine losing 10 years of your life? Can you imagine living in a world where everyone is telling you all about your current life situations but all you can remember is how it was 10 years ago? Can you imagine how strange and difficult that would be to wrap your head around?

How different would your life be if you could go back to your youth when you still had some innocence left and a fresh outlook on life? What would you do differently? What would you change about your current life? What about going back 10 years but having the maturity and knowledge that you have gained?

As you follow Alice through the book trying to regain her memories, confused and unhappy with the person she has become, it makes you reflect and ponder your own life and the choices you have made.
Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? Have you become the person you had hoped to be? What led you to the season of life that you are currently in?
Would you change anything at all if you could?

One of the reader questions in the back of the book is “What would surprise your younger self most about the life you’re currently leading? What would disappoint you?”
Please leave your response in the comments; I would love to hear your answers.

Now it seemed like she could twist the lens on her life and see it from two entirely different perspectives. The perspective of her younger self. Her younger, sillier, innocent self. And her older, wiser, more cynical and sensible self.

I highly recommend this book. It is a fantastic read that gets you thinking and reflecting on your own personal life choices and how your decisions can and have affected your future self. Liane Moriarty does a wonderful job of creating a fiction story that gets you working on your own personal development. I hope to be able to read more of her books in the future.

I feel like THE worst bibliophile and Harry Potter fan on the planet!
Apparently, yesterday was the 20th Anniversary (that makes me feel super old, by the way) of the release of the very first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and I did not do a single post about it.

I can still remember the excitement of reading that very first book in the series; cracking it open and smelling the pages of a fresh book. I also remember the anticipation and dread when we had to wait for the next book in the series to arrive; it always felt like an eternity.
I was not always able to go to the midnight release of the next book, but I did go to a few of them. How about you? Did you attend any midnight release parties?

Those that have never read the books just cannot seem to understand the culture that has developed around Harry Potter.
Yes I am old. By society’s standards, I should not be so infatuated with a youth fiction book series. However, when I first began reading them, I was not, by any means, considered “old”. I grew up with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid. It led me to a whole unexplored genre of literature. And now, I have passed that world down to my oldest son. We have read every single Harry Potter book together, me reading aloud to him. After each book was completed, we watched the corresponding movie together. It has been a wonderful bonding time for us and it has given me some common ground to stay connected to my teenager.

Harry Potter has created memories for people, bonded families over shared literature, and helped children delve into reading when they otherwise would have had no interest. Harry Potter has provided an escape from real life for those whom need it, created a shared culture for those who may have never known such fabulous people existed, and opened up a love of reading for many that never saw reading as enjoyable.

Yes, there has been some controversy, but is that not what makes a book great?

I have read each book multiple times (too many than I will admit to) and each time I still feel that wonderful flutter that happens when you open a book for the first time; a book that you know is going to be incredible.

The Harry Potter Movies were never as good as the books; movies never are. There really is just not enough time to capture the true heart of the story or to develop the unmistakable essence of each character in a 2-3 hour movie. Overall, the movies were decent. My only complaint was that they completely changed some of the story-line. I can understand that there is not room to put everything into the movie, but I do not understand why it is necessary to change the original story.

For fun, here are some Harry Potter websites you can peruse to relive some of those favorite moments, 20 years later.

I just got back from a super fun girls getaway this weekend. It was really nice to get away from “real life” for a bit and relax with some friends while feeding my inner nerd girl.
We actually had an agenda and a specific reason for the weekend and even though I went into it knowing I would probably not have any reading time, I of course packed 3 books in my overnight bag. I ended up only having time to read a single chapter. However, I never leave home without a book.

I am an introvert so after big weekends, full of fun and lots and lots of people, I often need a recovery day. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my time or have an absolute blast. It just tends to deplete my pitcher. In order to refill my pitcher, I have to have some alone time.

Anyone relate?

So today I do not have many literary thoughts for you because I am in recovery mode.

To go with the theme of today’s musings, here is a list of books for my fellow introverts or for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of an introvert in their life.